Improvement in harrows



' W. T. ERTMA'N.

' Har-rQW.

'No 193,716. P a tented Dec; 25, I877.

WITNESSES 0% J- ATTdRNEY "an, WASHINGTON n c To all whom it may concern:

and State of Minnesota, have invented a new This invention has relation to improvements in flexible drags or harrow chine for harrowing and also for smoothing purposes.

joint-plate and the lapped sectional bars pivthe said plate above the said bars, whereby the harrow is made to all intents rigid, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

ignates the heads or transverse bars of my improved harrow,carrying the teeth a, and conplate, D, having atone or both of the ends of j its flatbottom a flange or lip, b, which serves q p to prevent the said plates from turning npon 1 1 their bases when secured to their head-bars.

a c of the plates D, and extend from opposite and they are pivoted thereto by means of a bolt, (1, extending through registering-perfora- WILLIAM T. WERTMAN, OF WINONA, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT, lN HARR OWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 19

8,716, dated December 25, 1877; application filed I November 3, 1877;

Be it known that I, W1I.LIAM T. WERTMAN, of the city of Winona, in the county of Winona and valuable Improvement in Harrows; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the'letters a'nd figuresof reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings isa representation ofa top view of my improved harrow. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views, showingthe harrow-teeth in different positions. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the joint-plate and bars. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the key, and Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the plate and bars.

The nature of m'yinvention consists in a harrow the heads of which are connectedtogether by flexible joints of such a nature that when the said harrow is driven in one direction the teeth will be vertical, but when reversed inclined, thereby adapting one ma- Italso consists in combining, witha U shaped oted therein at one end, a key extending through In the annexed drawings, the letter A desnected together by means of the sectional bars B B. At each end of these heads is placed and rigidlysecured a strong metallic U shaped The bars B B fit snugly between the arms sides,from end to end, of the said plates, or nearly so, forming, as shown in Fig. 3,a lap,

tions in the bars and plate at one end of the latter. In this position the lower edge of the bars B B bear upon the bottom of the plates D, and the former is allowed a certain degree of vertical play with reference to the plate by an incline or bevel, 2', formed in the bottom thereof at the end next the pivot-bolt d.

When the harrow is driven over the ground with the beveled ends of plates D in front, the heads A will hold the teeth in a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, for the reason that the bar B is jammed by the biting of the said teeth and the force of traction against the bottom of the plate D, without, however, impairing the flexibility of the narrow-section in passing over uneven ground. But if the said harrow be reversed-that is, driven in the opposite direction-the teeth will assume the inclined position shown in Fig. 3, owing to the descent of the bars B into the 1nel1ne 't of a the said plates, in which position they are locked by shifting the key to perforations m If it be desired to render the entire section rigid, as is requisite under certain well-known circumstances, I use the following simple and effective device: The sides of the U-plates D are extended considerably above the upper edge of the bars B B, and are PIOVId'Bd Ht their ends farthest from the pivot-bolt d w1th a horizontal key-slot, e, in the same plane with each other, and just above the upper surface of the said bars. Through these slots, above the bars, is passed a key-stay, Gr, having at one end a short projection, j, and at the other a preferably weighted handle-piece,j, both of which areat right angles to the body or stem of the key, and in the same I plane with each other. This key is then turned With'ltS handle and projection at right angles to the length of slots e, and the harrow is to all intents and purposes rigid. p What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is n 1. In a flexible narrow, the combination of h the U-shaped platesD, having 1ncl1ne c at one end, with the lapping bars B B, pivoted to theinclined end of said plates, and the rake-heads A, substantially as set forth. i 2. The combination of the U-shaped plates D, having oblong slots 0 at one end, and the.

B. T. WESTERFIELD; Vehicle Spring. No. 198,717.

' Patented Deb. 25, I877.

ATTORNEYS.

manna Piimuruacm iism wmmmow, n1; 

